Ligeia, a Triumph over Patriarchy Since the time "Ligeia" was written, critics have searched for meaning in Poe's story of a beautiful deceased woman and returned to the body of another. Although all critics have moved in different directions, many have undoubtedly found allegorical meaning behind the tale. Because many literary theories depend on each other, contemporary critics tend not to limit themselves to a single theory. Many critics employ multiple theoretical perspectives simultaneously in order to better understand a text. Many critics have looked to Poe's relationship with women for understanding, combining biographical and feminist theory, while other critics use various approaches, such as formalism and psychoanalysis, to develop their own understanding of what they believe it to be an allegory. The collection of literary criticism surrounding "Ligeia" is insightful and comprehensive, and readers have the opportunity to examine interpretations from many different branches of literary theory. By examining how critics from five different areas of criticism approach "Ligeia," readers can see how contemporary critics can interpret it from various perspectives in order to gain a deeper understanding of the work. One of the most widely used applications of literary criticism is formalism or, as it is often called, New Criticism. The formalist perspective treats each literary work as a self-sufficient work, placing all avenues of understanding in the text itself, ignoring the social and political contexts of the author and publication, the author's biography, and other works by the same author. Formalist critics believe that form and structure are essential to the effectiveness of...... middle of document...... Linda J. "'Ligeia': The Facts in the Case." Studies in Weird Fiction. 21 (1997): 10-16. Howard, Brad. "'The Conqueror Worm': Dramatizing Aesthetics in 'Ligeia'." Poetry studies. 21.2 (1988): 36-43. Johanyak, Debra. “Poetic feminism: triumph or tragedy.” Journal of the University Linguistic Association. 39.1 (1995): 62-70. Jones, Daryl E. "Poe's Mermaid: Character and Meaning in 'Ligeia'." Studies in short fiction. 20.1 (1983): 33-37. Kennedy, J. Gerald. "Poe, 'Ligeia' and the Problem of Dying Women." New essays on Poe's major tales. Ed. Kenneth Silverman. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1993. 113-129. McEntee, Grace. “In memory of Ligeia.” Studies in American Fiction. 20.1 (1992): 75-83. Poe, Edgar Allan. “Ligeia.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 4th ed. shorter. Ed. Baym, Nina et al. New York: WW Norton & Company, 1995. 655-664.